All-New Wolverine #20 ComicWow! Review

Laura Kinney was created as a weapon, but she escaped that violent life with the help of the man she was cloned from, Logan (Wolverine). Logan is gone, but Laura is the All-New Wolverine! Laura was on a mission with her pre-teen clone, Gabby, when an alien child crashed on Roosevelt Island, bringing a fatal virus along. Ironheart was able to intercept before any permanent damage was done, and now the island is isolated so the virus doesn’t spread to Manhattan.

In this issue, the best minds have gathered to talk about what to do about the virus. We have Dr. Henry McCoy, Dr. Barbara Morse, Amadeus Cho, Nadia Pym, Dr. Peter Parker, and Doctor Strange. Together, even they can’t figure it out. It isn’t until a relatively unknown doctor tests Wolverine’s DNA that they come to find that not only is Laura immune to the virus, but she attracts it. In fact, she can heal others of it.

Tom Taylor’s script in this issue moves at a fast but comfortable pace. We can really sense the urgency that these characters must be feeling. I mean, with plans to nuke an entire island, I’d say that’s urgent. Now that they’ve essentially found a cure for this virus, maybe no one will have to be killed after all.

But will Wolverine be willing to take the virus from so many people? How will it affect her healing factor, if at all? Why is the virus attracted to her in the first place? Did the alien race come to Roosevelt Island knowing that Wolverine could help them with the virus? Where did it even come from? I have more questions than answers, but this issue sure does clear a lot up.

We get to see Gabby in this issue, too. She and Wolverine have a pretty informal dynamic between them, but they’re pretty much all business when it comes to their focus. Gabby is willing to do pretty much anything for Wolverine, and thinks she’s the messiah by the end of this issue. The two make a really good team, and they’re going to have to in order to deal with all the mayhem on Roosevelt Island.

Kirk’s illustrations perfectly tell the story of this issue. The line work is really clean, with extraneous lines to account for shadowing here and there. Wolverine is really emotional in the script, and it shows in her facial expressions. Wolverine is really focused on the mission at hand, but she can’t help but be distressed by her part in this outbreak. I mean, the illness is called the “Laura Kinney Virus.” Her emotional grief definitely shows, and it makes for a very sympathetic characterization.

There is also quite a bit of action in this issue, and we see if in a fluid and concise manner. For example, when Gabby takes over driving a motorcycle while Wolverine jumps off of it, the scene looks EPIC. There is quite a bit of movement shown, and the transitions from panel to panel are comfortable and believable.

This story is getting intense. I don’t know what Wolverine’s next move is, but at least we know that, technically, the virus can be cured. I’m hoping all our questions will be answered, but we’ll have to keep reading to find out!

Huck is ComicWow!'s editorial assistant and production assistant. He has a love for comic books on a cosmic scale and a growing knowledge of the industry. A Towson University alumnus, he brings with him a passion for writing, grammar, production, and other dorky stuff. He is a true nerd, and he embraces it.